Quercus nuttallii. 
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The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of oak tree which is believed to be a variety of Quercus nuttalli. My new variety has been given the varietal name xe2x80x98QNFTA.xe2x80x99
I discovered my new tree in 1995 as a chance seedling growing in a cultivated area of a nursery in Statesboro, Ga.
The parentage of this tree is unclear. It is definitely a red oak type tree. Representative species include Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) or Red Oak (Quercus rubra). There are also several related species, including Nutall Oak (Quercus nuttalli), Shumard Oak (Quercus shumardii), and Scarlet Oak (Quercus coccinea). My new tree has characteristics and a history that have prevented making an exact identification of its species, but Nutall Oak appears to be the closest.
Nutall Oak, as well as most other red oak types, readily hybridizes with one another, and there is a high probability that this tree is a result of a cross between a Nutall Oak and Shumard Oak or some other species of red oak, since Nutall Oaks and Shumard Oaks overlap one another across much of their range. For example, in Texas, Nutall Oak is found in the lower Southeast corner of Texas, Shumard is located in a wide band covering most of the eastern part of the state, and Texas Red Oak (Quercus texana) is the primary tree in the central part of the state east of Dallas. There is also a large swath of habitat between the primary Shumard Oak and Texas Red Oak regions where the predominate tree is a hybrid between Shumard Oak and Texas Red Oak. Hybrids are common and can easily make up a large population of the trees in any given area.
Seeds were collected from a group of three trees in Birmingham, Ala. The seeds were collected in fall of 1991 and planted into seedbeds in late winter of 1992. In spring of 1993, 1200 bare-root liners from these planted seeds were transplanted to a nursery field. In January of 1998, the original tree of my new variety was moved to an observation site in Oconee County, Ga. where it has remained since that time.
The original tree has displayed characteristics resembling Nutall Oak as well as Shumard Oak. There is much confusion over the exact identification of this tree and several experienced individuals have expressed differing opinions. The only consistency has been the opinion that the acorn is generally the most distinguishing characteristic determining the species difference between Nutall Oak and Shumard Oak. When compared to the above oaks, the acorns on my new tree most resemble Nutall Oak, which indicates that the tree is most likely a Nutall Oak or at least has Nutall Oak as one of its parents. Other physical characteristics of the tree, such as leaf size, sinus depth or bud features, do not provide definitive answers as to the true parentage of the tree.
As I observed the original tree of my new variety, the uniqueness of this tree became apparent because of a dense branching pattern and consistent red-orange-yellow fall color. These characteristics distinguish my new tree from other Nutall Oaks of which I am aware.
In 1995, this original tree of my variety was successfully propagated by vegetative cuttings at my direction, and the progeny have thus far proven to retain the dense branching pattern and consistent red-orange yellow fall color of the parent tree, even as smaller plants.
I observed this tree of my new variety for a period of time and believe it is particularly useful as a specimen or for grouping in lawns, parks, golf courses, commercial landscapes, and as a street tree. It provides good shade, is a relatively fast grower, adapts well to various planting conditions, and has good structural integrity. It also provides interest with its red-orange-yellow fall color.
Cultivated Nutall Oak, as far as I am aware, is represented in the industry solely by seedling material. Seedling material has a wide range of variability. My new tree has dense branching pattern and consistent red-orange-yellow fall color not represented by any other Nutall Oak tree cultivar known to me.
Typical Shumard Oak and Nutall Oak trees are pyramidal trees that become more spreading with age. Nutall Oak trees typically develop a fuller head at a younger age and can maintain a central leader as compared to typical Shumard Oak trees. My new tree has an upright pyramidal shape, but I expect it to become more spreading with age as is typical of the species. My new tree has a full head and central leader that is more typical of a Nutall Oak tree. Both Shumard Oak and Nutall Oak typically reach 40 to 60 feet high and wide in the landscape, but can reach 100 feet or more in nature. The ultimate height and width of new variety is not known.
My new variety has been asexually propagated by vegetative cuttings at my direction. Asexual reproduction was accomplished in Bulloch County, Ga. This propagation and observation of the resulting progeny have proven the characteristics of my new variety to be firmly fixed and reproduce true to type. Furthermore, these observations have confirmed that my new variety represents a new and improved variety of oak tree which appears to be a variation of Nutall Oak trees based upon observations of acorns in the parent tree and as particularly evidenced by the dense branching pattern and consistent red-orange-yellow fall color and which can reliably be asexually propagated using vegetative propagation.